Wednesday, May 6, 2009

I’m not a religious person. I don’t read the bible. I don’t go to church, well I do but occasionally. I am baptized and raised as a Catholic but I could be included among those who decided not to practice the religion as what the bible tells us. For one reason or another, I don’t feel like doing it, despite being surrounded by religious ones.

As I grow up, my idea of Christianity or Catholicism gradually change. I became inquisitive about the teachings of the church and somehow doubted the necessity of some of its practices. It came to a point that I wanted to change my religion to Buddhism. I thought that their teachings truly make one live in peace upon attaining the state of Nirvana or ‘Enlightenment’.

Faith, for me is an overrated term. We always hear the term from almost every religious sect around. Words like, “Have faith in God!” and “Have faith in Him!”. But who is God?. Who is ‘Him’? Who’s who?? With the proliferation of religious sects in the country, how can you determine who is really spreading the Word of God, when all of them are actually saying all the same thing? So far, Catholicism has the most number of believers throughout the world. But who knows it might be overstepped by some religious sects which air their never-ending debates on TV, proclaiming theirs is the way towards redemption.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not totally against the teachings of the Catholic Church. Maybe it has become common for me to be critical of the community I am into. It’s just like criticizing the government we have. No citizen would just sit and keep silent about the flaws he sees right?

Faith is characterized by belief. Belief of something. Like our own belief in the Cross or Crucifix. The Holy Trinity. Our belief that there is One God, the Holy Father. Our belief in the Jesus Christ, the Saviour, the Son of God who redeemed us. And our belief of the Holy Spirit. When we were young we were taught of Angels and Demons, Lucipher, Mother Mary, Joseph, Judas and all the saints. In those younger years we are made to believe in something we didn’t know if true or not. We just believe.

I don’t know if I’d make sense with this analogy, but didn’t we also let ourselves believe when we were younger in some things which we weren’t certain actually exist, like ghosts, monsters, aliens and other supernaturals. Now, I am confused. When our minds became bombarded with a lot of knowledge and information from the books we read and lessons taught in school and our experiences as we reach adulthood, we get to realize that some of the things we believed when we were younger are actually false, but one. No matter how old we get or even if we die, our religious beliefs stay with us.

For over decades now researchers have been keen in knowing the truth behind UFOs, aliens, ghosts and other supernaturals. Even as a young teenager I have been interested in knowing the truth behind them. But have we ever thought about seeking the truth behind our religious beliefs? Have you ever asked yourself why every waking hour or before you sleep, before you eat, before you take the exams, before you start your classes, before every basketball game you play and just about everything you do you need to pray? Have you ever asked the priest why do you have to kneel when you pray? Have you ever ask yourself if you sincerely believed with all your heart that you believe what you are believing today?

From ‘womb to tomb’, our religious beliefs seemed to have penetrated our very existence. It becomes definitive of our identity. It serves as a symbol which you yourself cannot even articulate in the most unqualified expressions how valuable it is to you.

Have you ever asked yourself how much can you sacrifice for your religion? Does your religion outweigh your ideologies and treasured principles? It’s not uncommon for a person to give up his ideologies and treasured principles in life for something, be it tangible or intangible. But never in my life have I seen or known someone who have sacrificed his religion for something. Now I am quite perplexed by the impact of our religion in our lives that it even overshadows the very product of our own intellect.

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Headbangs:

Faith is something you don't see but you believe in.. far beyond your senses could realize. It's not a matter of religious practices or so... Religions won't cause you anything, it's what you believe in.

Anyway, are you even aware that some of those signs and symbols symbolizes evil???

Not aware with any of the symbol which signifies evil, dont even know what exactly the symbol of evil which for sure is man-made, same with the symbols of every religion. Just put the image there to show that a lot of religious/non-religious sects have evolved this world.